Hanoi (VNA) – Five new imported cases of COVID-19were confirmed on August 26 afternoon, raising the number of coronavirusinfections in Vietnam to 1,034, according to the national steering committeefor COVID-19 prevention and control.

Among the new patients, quarantined upon theirarrival, two men had contracted SARS-CoV-2 in the UAE and tested negative forthe novel coronavirus thrice before returning to the homeland via Can ThoInternational Airport, the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, on August 9.

The three others, two men and one woman, wererepatriated from Russia and arrived at Van Don International Airport, thenorthern province of Quang Ninh, on August 11.

Of total cases, 687 are local infections, and547 have linked with central Da Nang city, where the new outbreak began on July25.

There are 69,429 people having close contactwith confirmed cases or coming from pandemic-hit regions under quarantine atpresent, including 1,878 in hospitals, 20,411 in other concentrated quarantinesites, and 47,140 at home or accommodation facilities.

Also on August 26, 37 patients were given theall-clear, adding up to 632 recoveries so far.

Fifty-three of the patients still undertreatment have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 67 twice, and 47 thrice.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 death toll has nowreached 29 after the latest death was reported in the afternoon. 

The 66-year-old man in Tu Nghia district ofcentral Quang Ngai province, who had suffered from cerebrovascular problems,hypertension and chronic kidney failure, died at the Hoa Vang medical centre inDa Nang on August 26 morning.

Providing details about a fatality at the HoaVang medical centre on late August 25,  the Ministry of Health said the56-year-old woman, residing in Da Nang’s Son Tra district, died after testingnegative for the coronavirus for three times.

Her death was attributed to septic shock, multiple-organfailure, pneumonia, end-stage renal failure, heart failure and cerebrovascularproblems. She is not counted as a COVID-19 fatality./.